Submarine boat.



No. 854,004. 'PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

L. Y. SPEAR.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.1. 1906v 5.1 "mentor QX ihwooe/o "nnrrnn srnrns na'rnnir orrroia.

LAWRENCE YORK SPEAK, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR' TO ELECTRIC BOATCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

a SUBMARINE BOAT Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented may. 21, 1907.

Application filed August 1,1906. Serial No- 328,733-

To all-whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE YORK SPEAR, a citizen or the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to submarine or submergible boats and has for its object to provide means for cilectively ventilating the vessel, while on the surface, and preventing ingress of water, whichis liable to pass into the ventilating opening, to the interior of the vessel.

it is common practice in submarine or sub.

mergible boats, when the same are operating upon the su riaceto effect ventilation of the interior by way of the conning tower, by raising the scuttle or hatch with which the tower is always provided to give entrance to or exit from the interior of the boat. In

rough water some spray and water is almost inevitably carried down the hatch into the vessel, making it wet and uncomfortable for the crew inside of the boat. The present invention contemplates the provision of means to permit boats of this character to be ventilated through the conning tower, which means, while freely admitting air to the interior of the'.ve ssel, will effectively exclude any water which may gain access to the interior of the tower through the open hatch.

While the invention is particularly applicable to the ordinary form of conning tower, it will baunderstood that it isequally efficacious when applied to any other form of tower or protuberance on the hull of the vessel which may project above the water level, when the vesselis operating on the surface, and through which ventilation may be conveniently effected.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is .a longitudinal section through the midship ortion of a submarine or a submergible boat illustrating the invention as applied to a conning tower. Fig. 2 is a transverse cross section thereof.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates the hull, proper, of a submarine or submer gible boat which may be of any of the well known forms or types. Vessels of this character are usually provided with a conning tower which serves as a station for the ollicer or other person operating the vessel andalso affords a ready means for entrahcc to and exit from the interior of the vessel, said,

tower being ordinarily. provided with a hinged hatch on its top which serves as a water-tight scuttle which may be closed when it is desired to navigate below the surface, or to submerge the boat. Such a con ning tower is shown at b in the drawings and hatch-way d to permit the crew to pass in and out of the vessel and also to admit air to the interior of the vessel when the boat is operating on the surface. v

When the scuttle or hatch f is open to atford ventilation and the-water is at all rough it has been found that spray finds its way through the opened hatch-way through'the conning-tower and into the interior of the vessel below, rendering the boat wet and uncomfortable for the crew. has been so marked when the boat has been navigating inrouglrwater in a practically awash condition that it has been,necessary -to close the hatch f in order toex'cliude the water which was liable to enterfin such quantities as to prove dangerous as well as disagreeable.

The present inventioncontemplates the provision of special means in connection with a conningtower, of the type described, to permit ventilation being efiected through the tower even in the roughest water without danger of wetting the interiorof the vessel solong as the latter is operating on the surface. To this end the bottom of the conning tower, which is rovided with the usual open ing 0, is provi ed with a scuttle or hatch 6 adapted to close the opening 0 with a water might joint, so that, when the upper hatch f 105 isopen and the lower hatch e is closed, the conning tower constitutes what is, in fact, a trap for any water that may enter, the

This difficulty the interior of the vessel-through an opening n in its lower portion which is adapted to be closed by a shutter or valve 0. The air duct k may be conveniently formed as a lateral rotuberance of. the connin towel" pro 1' P g l r I,

separated from the same by a cross partition t which terminates at a point below the top [of the tower thereby leaving a passage-way way (1' enters the duct h t ough the passage,

m. The partition i forms what is in fact a dam or baffle which may be made of-suitable height to prevent any water which enters the conning tower, proper, passing into the air duct and thence into the interior of the boat.

Although the air duct is shown as consti tuting a part of the tower, proper, it will be understood that it maybe formed as a separate pipe or conduit which opens into the towei at some point above the bottom thereof and communicates at its other end with the interior of the vessel to permit the air entering the tower to pass to the interior of the vessel and'to effectively exclude any water which may gain access to the tower.

In operation when the vessel is navigating on the surface, the scuttle or hatch e at the bottom of the conning tower is closed and the upper scuttle or hatch f is opened. The valve or stopper in the air duct h is also opened. The air passin from the hatchin above the partitioni and then passes through the lower opening a directly into the boat. Any water that may enter through the hatch-way 01 passes directly to the bottom of the conning tower where it is held by the closed hatch or scuttle e, and when excess of water has accumulated at this point it may be drawn off byopening'thc drain-cock s and delivering the Water to the usual discharge purnps. Should the conning tower become flooded through accident and the water tend to pass over into the air duct and thence to the vessel, the valve or stopper 0 at the bottom of the-air duct may be immediately closed. When it is desired to operate below the surface, or to suspend ventilation through the eonnin tower, the u er hatch or scuttle f is close and the lower 'atch e is o ened. It will be understood, of course, t at any suitable orwell, known means for operating the scuttlesv 0r hatches may be provided.

WhatIclaimis: 1

1. In a submarine 'or submergible. boat having a tower'thro h'whieh ventilation may be effected,scutt es .or hatches in the upper and-lower portions of said tower for controlling admission thereto, and an air duct communicatin with said tower above the bottom thereo boat.

, 2. In a submarine or siu bmergible boat having a tower throu h which ventilation may be effected, 'scutt es or hatches on the upper and lower portions of said tower for controlling admission thereto, an air duct communicatin with said tower above the and with the interior of the bottom thereo and with the interior of the boat, and'a stopper or valve controlling said air duct.

3. In a submarine or submergible boat having a conning tower, a lateral extension of said tower forming an air duct communicating with the interior of the boat, and divided from the tower by a partition terminating below the top of the tower, and scuttles. or hatches controlling o enings in the upper and lower portions of s ai' tower. 'l

4. In a mameor submergible [heat having a connm'gtower, ada teral extensioi zfof said tower forming an aiF diict comnii anicating with the interior of the boat, and divided from the tower'b' a partition terminating below the top 0' the tower, scuttles" or hatches controlling openings in the upper and lower portions of said tower, and a stopper or valve controlling the air duct. i

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature,

in presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE YORK SPEAK. Witnesses:

F. L. BRAKE, W. D. FnsLER. 

